Self-playing stringed musical instrument



- No Model.)

l T. G. ROSTER.. SELF PLAYING STRINGBD MUSGAL'INSTRUMBNT. No. 574,426.

'Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

THE. Nowms PETERS co. Mofo-umn., wnsnmnrow. o. c.

vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE G. HOSTER, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY.V

SELF-PLAYING ST R|NGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,426, date'd'January5, 1897.

Application tiled March 28, 1896.

.To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEoDoEE G. HosTER, of East Rutherford, in thecounty of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a new andImproved Self-Playing Stringed Musical Instrument, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to stringed musical instruments, such as autoharpsand the like; and the object of the invention is to provide a new andimproved self-playing stringed musical instrument in which the stringsare automatically and properlyT picked and sounded in a very simplemanner.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specihcation, in which similar characters of reference indi catecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the improvement with the cover of the boxremoved and part broken out. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of thesame on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevationof a modified form of star-wheel.

The self playing musical instrument is preferably arranged in a suitablebox A, containing a sounding-board B, over which are stretched in theusual manner the strings (l, representing both melody and accompanimentstrings for anydesired number of octaves.

A series of star-wheels D, one for each string C, is arranged above thesounding-board and between the strings, with the faces of the wheels atangles to the strings, as plainly indicated in Fig. l. Each star-wheel Dis provided on its face, next to its corresponding string, with lateralpickers D in the form of pins or lugs arranged in a circle and placedequidistant apart, with one ofthe pickers extending directly over thestring, so that when the wheel is rotated in the direction of the arrowa then this picker D engages the string and picks the same to producethe tone to which the string is tuned. N ow it will be seen that as thewheel D stands at an angle toits Serial No. 585,199. (No model.)

string it is evident that the picker D Iirst fully moves in engagementwith the string, and on further rotation of the wheel this pickergradually moves out of engagement with the string, thereby releasing thesame and causing it to sound. Vhen the picker D' has passed into alowermost position, the rotary motion of the wheel ceases and the nextfollowing picker stands directly above the string, ready to engage andpick the string the second time on the next rotary impulse given to thestar-wheel. Thus it will be seen that the pickers D/ of each star-wheelmove in a plane convergent to the string, and consequently all the otherpickers D of the revolving wheel except the one that is doing thepicking at the time are completely out of alinement and out ofengagement with the string, as the wheel revolves at an angle to thest-rin g.

The several star-wheels D are mounted to rotate loosely and independentone of the other on a rod or shaft E, held in suitable bearings attachedto the box I3. The starwheels D are preferably held apart by suit` ablefriction-washers, which not only separate the wheels, but also preventone from carrying the adjacent one along when rotated.

The starwheels D are intermittently rotated by a note sheet or barrel F,made in the form of a revoluble cylinder, cone disk, or the like. Thenote-sheetillustrated is cylindrical in form and is provided with noteprojections or pins F', adapted to engage one of the nonactive pickers Dat the time for turning the star-wheel, as above described. It is,however, expressly understood that I do not limit myself to the form ofthe note-sheet shown, as it is evident that I may employ any one of thewell-known forms of note-sheets now in use for driving star-wheels inself-playing musical instruments.

The note sheet or barrel may be of the interchangeable type and drivenfrom a suitable spring or other motor G, having the usual governor H. Astopping and starting device ot' the ordinary type is also provided.

As shown in Fig. 3, the note-sheet F2 engages with its pins or lugsFSperipheral teeth D2 on the star-wheel D3 to turn the latter and IOOcause its lateral pickers Dito piel; and sound the strings in the mannerabove described.

Haring thus iully described my invention, l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentl. A musical instrument comprising stringsextending over a sounding-board, a series of star-wheels, one foreachstring and each provided with pickers movable against the correspondingstringin planes convergent to the string, and a movable note-sheet forturning the said star-Wheels independentlyT of one another,substantially as shown and described.

2. A stringed musical instrument provided with a revoluble star-Wheelhavin g on its face a plurality of pickers at an angle to the plane ofrotation of the Wheel, snbstantiall y as described.

3. A stringed musical instrument provided with strings, and pickersmovable against said strings in planes convergent to the strings,substantially as shown and described.

1. A stringed musical instrument, provided with star-wheels havinglateral pickers, and strings adapted to be picked by said pickers, thevface of each star-Wheel and its correspending string standing at anglesone to the other7 substantially as shown and described.

5. A stringed musica-l instrument, comprising a sounding-board, stringsextending over the said sounding-board, a series ol' star- Wheels, onefor each string and each having its `face extending at angles t0 thecorresponding string, and lateral pickers formed ou each wheel andadapted to successively piek the corresponding string', substantially asshown and described.

G. A stringed musical instrument, comprising a series ci stringsextending over a sound.- ing-board, star-Wheels, one for each string andeach having its `face extending at angles to the corresponding string,each star-wheel being provided with lateral pickers for picking thestring, and a movable note-sheet for engaging and turningihe saidstar-wheels independent one of the other, substantially as shown anddescribed.

THROUGH It G. l i(v It is hereby certified that the residence of thepatentee in the grant and in the head Patent No. 574,426, grantedJanuary 5, 1897, Self-,Playing of the printed speeiiieation of Lettersupon the application of Theodore Gr. Hoster, for an improvement inStringed Musical Instruments, was erroneously Written and printedRutherford, New

Jersey, Whereas said residence should have been written and printed EastRutherford, New Jersey and that the said Letters Patent should he readWith this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe ease in the Patent Office.

JNO. M. REYNOLDS, Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

Signed, eountersigned, and sealed this 26th day of January,

[SEAL] Oountersigned:

JOHN S. SEYMOUR,

Commissioner of Patents.

Correction neLettersl Patent No. 574,426;

It is hereby certified that the residence of the patentee in the grantand in the head of the printed speoieation of Letters Patent No.574,426, granted January 5, 1897,

Theodore Gr. Hoster,

upon the application of for an improvement in Self-:Playing StringedMusical Instruments, Was erroneously Written and printed Rutherford, New

Jersey, Whereas said residence should have been written and printed EastRutherford, New Jersey; and that the said Letters Patent should be readwith this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe case in the Patent Oee.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 26th day of Januar A. D., 1897.

[SEAL] JNO. M. REYNOLDS,

Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

Oountersigned:

JOHN S. SEYMOUR,

Commissioner of Patents.

